大象传媒

"This story was submitted to the People's War site by Jean Brown and has been added to the website on behalf of Frank McGurran with his permission and he fully understands the site's terms and conditions".

I was 23 years old when the war started in 1939. I was working in an engineering works in Hull, Yorkshire and because of the type of work I was doing I did not have to join the forces. This is known as a reserved occupation. I joined the Royal Navy on 28th October 1940 at HMS Collingwood as a Stoker 2nd Class. From December 1940 until July 1943 I was serving on armed trawlers protecting the North Atlantic Convoys. The trawlers were used to depth charge German submarines.

At the end of 1943 we were sent to South Africa to train and prepare for the D-Day Landings although we did not know that at the time. We were based in the Royal Navy Station at Simons Town near Cape Town.

There was a dog called Nuisance at the base who was very friendly to all the sailors. The dog did not have an owner and the sailors looked after him. Everyone called him a nuisance because he was always waking up sailors when they were trying to sleep. The Navy gave him the rank of Able Seaman and he was given a Navy hat and collar to wear. He was friendlier with the sailors and not so friendly with the officers.

Today there is a statue to Nuisance AB in Simons Town in South Africa to remember the dog that was very friendly to British sailors.

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